


These Dark Minds

by reylotrash711



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Ben Solo Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Angst, Ben Solo is his father, Canon Universe, Dark Side Rey, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Friendship, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Role Reversal, rey is the leader of the knights of ren, shes a boss, yup shes Kira Ren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22107424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reylotrash711/pseuds/reylotrash711
Summary: Ben Solo is his Uncle’s best student and his mother’s second-best pilot (after Poe Dameron of course). As the grandson of the late Anakin Skywalker, Ben knows he is destined to be one of the most powerful Jedi to ever live, to bring peace and freedom to the galaxy.Kira Ren has been raised to be the greatest Empress the galaxy has ever seen, to finish what her grandfather started and become the true leader of the Sith.Kira and Ben are certain of what they want, of who they will become. But when their paths cross, everything becomes hazy and they are forced to decide between the clear connection between them and the destinys that have been forced upon them.
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Kylo Ren
Comments: 18
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly thank you to @starcrossreylo for creating this beautiful mood board! This story has been something I’ve been thinking about for months and have finally decided to get it down on a Google Docs. The story follows the possibility of what would’ve happen if Rey had been taken to Palpatine as a child. It’s basically a role reversal…
> 
> This is unbetaed and will be full of mistakes because I'm an incompetent writer x

“What part of this was a good idea?” Ben shouted as he fired at the stormtroopers running towards them. Poe was standing next to him, fumbling to open the blast doors of the first order vault. He played with the wires in the control panel, trying to find the connection that would open the doors. “I just need a few more minutes!” Poe exclaimed. Ben sighed before stretching his blaster out once again, taking the stormtroopers out one by one. But with every stormtrooper that fell to the ground, another two would appear moments later. Did the first order have an endless supply? “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” said Poe triumphantly. Ben turned to him expectantly, to his despair, another layer of steel closed in front of the blast doors. “Ah, didn’t think about that,” said Poe.

Ben rolled his eyes, “Cover me.” he said, taking his lightsaber from his belt. Poe obliged, standing in front of him to fend off the approaching stormtroopers. Ben ignited his lightsaber to reveal the familiar blue blade. He plunged it into the blast doors, moving it in a circular motion. Closing his eyes, he used the force to focus on his blade cutting through the grey steel. Clearing his mind, he closed himself off from the battle around him, the sounds of blaster fire and explosions fading into the distance. When he sensed that he had cut a perfect circle in the door, Ben stretched out his hand and pressed it against the cool metal. Summoning the force, he pushed as hard as he could. The metal gave way, the circle he had cut was pushed away to reveal the dim lights of the vault. 

The stormtroopers diminished in numbers, the remaining few running off to find reinforcements. This gave both Resistance pilots a moment to breathe. 

Ben smirked at Poe, gesturing to the vault. “Yeah I was just about to try that,” he said quietly. Ben nodded, slapping him on the back, “Of course you were buddy, of course, you were.” Ben stepped inside the vault as Poe stood by the entrance to keep watch. The vault was very bare, a few ancient relics were on podiums surrounded by glass, the first order seemed to care a lot for the presentation of their stolen treasures. His gaze flickered over each of them, but none of them were what he was looking for. As he moved deeper into the vault he felt the darkness around him grow stronger, he shivered slightly as if a dark breeze had swept through him. 

It seemed to be endless and he didn’t have any time to waste. Ben took a deep breath and reached out, searching for the object his mother had sent him and Poe to retrieve. He could sense it, calling out to him. Allowing his feet to guide him, Ben moved to the right side of the cell. Stopping in front o one of the podiums, he looked down to see the Holocron resting in the glass casing. His mother had not told him what the Holocron contained, but she had told him how vital it was that he retrieve it and bring it back to the Resistance base on D’Qar. 

“Ben come on! We need to get out of here!” Poe called into the vault. The sound of blaster fire hurried ben along as he shouted back, “I’m on my way.” taking his blaster from his belt, he shot the glass causing it to shatter into a thousand pieces and litter the floors with deadly shards that could pierce your skin if you didn’t tread carefully. Pocketing the Holocron, Ben ran in the direction of the vault’s exit where Poe stood fighting of the approaching stormtroopers. 

“Did you get it?” Poe asked breathlessly. Ben nodded as he used the force to deflect a bolt coming straight for his head. “Good, you took your time, I was starting to think you were considering becoming a permanent resident.” 

“It’s not in a very nice location if I’m honest,” said Ben, gesturing for Poe to follow him into the corridor. They broke into a run, avoiding the blasts that chased them as they moved in the direction of the hangar bay. Every few seconds the men would turn, sending shots towards the stormtroopers in an attempt to fend them off. If they wanted to get back to the Resistance in one piece they needed to get out of there. And get out of there fast. When they reached the hanger they were greeted by even more troopers dressed in white. 

They were surrounded, about 20 blasters were pointing at them. “Shit,” Ben muttered, lowering his blaster. Poe did the same, “Hiya fellas.” he said to the group.

“Shut up scum.” one of them spat. Ben narrowed his eyes on the trooper who had spoken, they were nervous. They were all nervous. He wondered if they knew that the best fighters in the Resistance stood before them. Ben smirked, his eyes had a mischievous look in them, “Rebel Scum.” he corrected. Before the stormtrooper could comment on the correction, Ben leaped up into the air and ignited his lightsaber, slicing his blade across the individuals. He had already taken down four of them by the time Poe had a chance to take his blaster and fight back. They worked as a team to fight off each trooper before running in the direction of the nearest ship. 

The pair clambered aboard, Poe sliding into the pilot’s seat. “Hey how come you get to be pilot?” said Ben. 

Poe chuckled, “You snooze you lose.” he said tauntingly. Ben let out an annoyed huff before sliding into the co-pilot’s seat and preparing for take-off. As the spacecraft hovered into the air, stormtroopers fired at it rapidly in a desperate attempt to stop them from escaping. 

“Jam all the trackers,” Poe instructed. Ben did as he was told, moving as quickly as he could to disable anything that meant the first order would be able to track the vessel back to the Resistance base. Not only was Ben a good pilot, but his father had taught him how to avoid detection when he needed to make a quick escape. Ben was thankful that his father had spent a long time smuggling before he met his mother, it meant he had learned from the best, his mother often joked that he could fly before he could walk. 

“Okay we’re all clear,” said Ben. Poe immediately took off from the hangar at high speed, causing Ben to slam back against his chair. After typing in the coordinates, Poe made the jump to hyperspace, leaving behind the first order ship and the sound of approaching tie fighters. The familiar streaks of blue came into view and the two men let out a sigh of relief before giving each other a high five.   
  


* * *

General Organa glared at the young men standing before her. They looked incredibly guilty as they stood looking down at their feet. “When I asked you to retrieve the Holocron I asked you not to draw attention to yourselves,” she said, her tone was serious and slightly cold. Ben briefly wondered if he was back in school and being told off for misbehaving in class or being too rough in the playground. “Your little mission is now all over the holonet, the first order knows what we are after and it won’t be long before they figure out our plan.” 

Ben looked up at his mother, “At least we got it, and escaped with our lives.” said Ben, “I thought that was quite an achievement considering the number of stormtroopers that were sent our way.” Leia shot him a look that told him to stop talking immediately. She turned the Holocron over in her hand, examining the artifact. She let out a tired sigh, “You both need to learn some responsibility, you are the Resistance’s best fighters.” 

Poe took a step forward, “I can assure General that it won’t happen again.” Ben bit back his laugh, Poe always wanted to be on his mother’s good side. He was certain that it would happen again and Poe would say the same thing next time his mother grilled them. “I hope so Commander Dameron otherwise I will be forced to remove you from your post.” Poe visibly gulped at Leia’s words before she dismissed him. The commander left the General’s office unusually quickly as if he was scared to spend another minute in the presence of the general. 

Ben slumped into a chair on the other side of her desk as his mother took her seat. “Ben-” Leia started. “Look we got the Holocron, what’s the big deal?” said Ben, cutting across her. 

Leia placed the Holocron on the desk in front of her, in between the various letters and documents that were strewn across it. “You need to learn to be more careful Ben, one day you are going to get hurt if you keep behaving so recklessly.” She stood and move around her desk, placing a hand on her son’s shoulder. 

Pressing a kiss to his forehead she said quietly, “I love you so much Ben, I hate sending you out on these missions.” Ben stood and wrapped his arms around his mother. He towered over her a lot, by the time he was 13 he was already a good foot taller than his mother. “If it were up to me you wouldn’t go on any missions, I’d keep you here with me.” He hated saying goodbye to his mother whenever he went on a mission, he knew how much she stressed when he was way, how worried she got. It didn’t help that his father was always away on missions and much to his mother’s dismay, smuggling. 

“It’s my duty Mum, you taught me to always fight for the greater good.” He said, pulling away from her embrace and giving her a small smile, “I don’t like to go without your blessing, but I do, it’s what you would do.” 

Leia let out a tired sigh as she moved to the wall, along it there were various holo pictures and framed photographs painting a picture of Ben’s childhood. There were pictures of him and Uncle Chewie flying the falcon, his Uncle Luke teaching him how to use a lightsaber, his father playing with him in their garden on Chandrila. And right in the center was a picture of a four-year-old Ben sitting with his mother and father in the cockpit of the falcon. Ben looked ecstatic to be flying, he had always wanted to be a pilot like his father. And then there were his parents, neither of them was looking at the camera, they were looking down at their son with so much love and admiration. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a better life Ben.” She said sadly, “I wanted you to live a life free of wars and conflict, give you the life I couldn’t have, one free of pain and suffering.” A stray tear ran down his mother’s cheek. Ben watched his mother hurriedly wipe it away, she was a general and he knew his mother tried her best to hide her emotions, she hated looking weak. But his mother wasn’t weak, she was the strongest and bravest person he knew. 

“You gave me everything a child could ask for Mum, I am the luckiest person in the galaxy.” his mother gave him a small smile before turning back to the wall of photos, looking at ones taken before he was born of her and his father with Ewoks on Endor during the celebration of the destruction of the second death star.

As a child, he had loved listening to stories about his parents from the days of the rebellion. How his father rescued his mother from the Death Star, how his mother rescued his father from the evil Jabba the Hutt. Despite the fact they were often separated because of their work, Ben knew his parents loved each other more than words could describe. He often wondered if he would ever find love, he was 29 and spent most of his life with little to no romantic attraction for anyone. He didn’t mind, but inside him, he always felt as if something were missing. It sounded cheesy and romantic (Ben definitely was not the romantic type) but when he lay awake at night it was as if he could feel someone, that there was someone who already held his heart. He felt like he was tied to one end of a string, that there was someone on the other end of it. For all he knew it could just be his imagination, but it felt so real, in a way intimate and personal. He wondered if he would ever meet this mysterious person.

Ben looked at the two clocks on the wall, one read the local time of whatever planet the Resistance base was situated on. The other read the time on his mother’s home planet of Alderaan. Ben knew how his mother still grieved over the loss of her home, it was something she had never been able to move on from, he wondered if she ever would. The time on the local clock read 0320, he had to meet his Uncle and Finn for training at 0330. 

“I have training with Uncle Luke in ten minutes,” he said moving towards the door, making sure his lightsaber was in its place on his belt. As he opened the door to leave his mother called out to him, “Ben?” Ben stopped, turning to her. Leia smiled, “I love you, please don’t do anything stupid.” 

Ben chuckled and left the room, calling back, “I know.” before closing the door and making his way to the training room on the top floor of the base.

* * *

Lieutenant Wilkins grasped frantically at his throat his he desperately attempted to breathe. Kira Ren ignored his desperate pleas as he begged for mercy. She laughed at his pitiful fobs as she tightened her grip. His face was quickly turning a shade of purple, she knew he was on the brink of death. At the last second, she released her grip, watching as the man sank to his knees coughing and gasping. “Let this serve as a lesson Lieutenant to not ignore more orders in future,” she said coldly, smirking as the Lieutenant. “Pathetic,” she mumbled before storming away, the skirt of her dress and flow of her dark cloak moving around her with each step in her heavy books. Her double-bladed crimson saber hung at her belt and she sent death glares at anyone who caught her eye as she made her way across the bridge.

Her inferiors addressed her as Lady Ren, it was her job to keep everyone in line. It was safe to say that she ruled an iron fist, she wouldn’t hesitate to put the officers in their places. She enjoyed the power she had over the people who thought they were the big dogs. All it would take is a flick of her wrist to silence them. 

With her head held high, she walked with purpose, relishing in the idea of being feared by the arrogant lieutenants and generals around her. They should be scared. She was Kira Ren, granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine and leader of the Knights of Ren. One day she would rule the galaxy as empress, fulfilling her grandfather’s legacy. 

The Supremacy was the largest ship in the First Order’s fleet, it was the grandest and most powerful in the galaxy. Their weapons were superior, they could squash the troublesome Resistance with ease. The Resistance’s ships were pitiful compared to the First Orders. Kira saw them as bugs who could be squashed with a stamp of her boot. 

She stormed through the steel black corridors in the direction of the Throne Room, her grandfather’s voice had been whispering in the back of her mind that he needs to speak to her. It wasn't her preferred method of communication, but she had grown used to it over the years. Her grandfather was always in her head, reading every thought, listening to every secret and guiding through her day to day life. The Sith guided her, she had embraced the darkness at a young age, accepting that it was her destiny.

When Kira entered the Throne Room she was greeted by the hologram of her Grandfather. Most people coward away from him, afraid of his appearance. He was more like a corpse than a man. Kira knelt down in front of him, bowing her head. “Rise my child.” Said Palpatine. He had a voice that would send a shiver down your spine and turn your blood cold. 

Kira rose to her feet and looked up at the blue hologram of the decrepit man, “What is your bidding, my master?” she asked, her voice firm and polite. She tried her best not too nervous, her master had a tendency to make her feel slightly uneasy. “I have felt a disturbance in the force, Skywalker knows you are in allegiance with the first order,” he said. Kira’s fists clenched at the mention of the name. Skywalker. The man who had taken everything from her. 

She had learned at a young age how to cloak of force signature, but it was far easier when she lived on Exogol, deep in the unknown regions where even the strongest force user wouldn’t be able to sense her. “It is vital we wipe out Skywalker for good.” Palpatine continued, “I should of killed his father when I had the chance.” The bitterness in his voice was laced in a sense of regret, Palpatine was angry about the mistakes he had made in the past. His anger fueled his hatred for the Skywalkers.

“Can you feel them?” he asked. Kira closed her eyes and reached out with the force. She could feel the tiny signatures of the people on board of the Supremecy. As always the largest presence was Palpatine’s, his darkness a constant companion in her mind. She reached out further. And that’s when she felt it, the familiar signature that she’d feel late at night as she lay awake. It had always felt like a comfort for her, this mysterious light in the darkness. She felt like she was tied to one end of a string, that there was someone on the other end of it. For all she knew it could just be her imagination, but it felt so real, intimate and personal. She wondered if she would ever meet this mysterious person. 

This person was powerful, it wasn’t Skywalker, she knew that much. Maybe a student of his? Whatever this force was, it was powerful, almost like a bright light. She didn’t want to reveal this to her grandfather, it felt like something special, something personal. So she lied, “Yes Master, I feel this force threatening our power.” when lying to her grandfather she had learned to lace some truth in her words, it meant he was less likely to see straight through her. 

“You will find Skywalker, and destroy him.” Palpatine ordered, “Go alone, no one is to know of this mission.”

Kira bowed her head, “Yes Master.” she said. She would destroy Skywalker, nothing could stop her. After everything he had done to her, he didn’t deserve to live. She turned to leave the room when Palpatine spoke. “And Kira, don’t fail me or there will be consequences.” 

Kira continued to walk, leaving the throne room. She knew what the consequences were. She was all too familiar with his punishments. He did it for own good, to teach her a lesson, she knew she’d appreciate how strict he was one day. After all, he only wanted what was best for her.

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke Skywalker gives Ben an important mission, Kira is overthinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof another chapter, if you are still here thank you

Ben was by far his Uncle’s best student. He always had been. Before the First Order rose to power and he joined his mother in the Resistance he had helped his Uncle run the Jedi Temple. He had completed his training years ago but remained by his uncle’s side to train younger generations of Jedi. When war broke out, Luke sent the young Jedi back to their families, it was too dangerous to look after them alone. Many students stayed behind, swearing their loyalty to Master Skywalker and the Resistance, taking their places in the battle against the First Order. 

Due to the small number of students, Ben trained alone most days or like that afternoon, with Finn. Poe had introduced Finn after he helped him escape the First Order during a mission that had gone wrong. Finn was a Stormtrooper who had defected, joining the Resistance to fight against the group who had taken him from his family. Master Skywalker had sensed how strong Finn was with the force as soon as he had landed on the Resistance base and had given Ben the task of helping to train him. 

In only a year Finn had proved he was a gifted Jedi. He made mistakes and was stronger in some areas more than others but every time he fell, he got back up. Ben admired his determination. 

As they trained, Ben allowed Finn to advance on him. He blocked each swing of his blade with ease, occasionally catching him off guard by going on the offensive briefly, causing him to fumble slightly before regaining his focus and sending another attack in Ben’s direction. 

They were dressed in their everyday clothes, Ben tended not to bother with Jedi robes. Instead, he wore grey pants with a holster for his blaster and lightsaber. along with a beige shirt accompanied by a leather jacket that had been discarded onto a chair in the corner of the room and brown fingerless gloves. Around his neck he wore a set of gold sabaac dice, they were his father’s lucky charm and he had gifted them to him as a gift when he left to join the Resistance. 

As they fought he could tell Finn was growing tired. With a sigh Ben ‘accidentally’ stumbled, allowing Finn to disarm him and make him fall to his knees with the purple blade at his neck. They were both panting heavily, exhausted from the intensive workout. Finn retracted his blade and offered Ben his hand. Ben took it and got to his feet, summoning his saber from the floor and clipping it to his belt. 

“You did well today,” said Ben, throwing him a towel before taking another to wipe the sweat from his own brow, “You need to work on your footwork more, you still tend to stumble whenever I advance,” he explained. 

Finn slumped into a chair and sighed, “You took me by surprise.” he mumbled, sipping water from a flask. Ben shook his head, “You always need to be prepared both physically and mentally, don’t let your opponent surprise you.” 

He didn’t mean to be hard on Finn, he often felt bad for grilling so much. But he wanted him to be prepared, in battle, enemies didn’t wait for you to be ready. “But I think we’re done for the day, I know Poe will want to have a drink tonight.” Said Finn.

Ben laughed, “Watch him try and drink us all under the table, how that man contains his alcohol is beyond me.” he said, walking around the room to make sure all the equipment had been turned off. Taking his jacket from the chair, he followed Finn out the room, using the force with a flick of his wrist to turn off the training room lights. “I’m only just able to keep up most nights,” Finn replied. Poe was a heavy drinker at times, often able to take on bottles of Corellian Whisky with ease. And yet, much to Ben’s confusion, he was able to get up at the crack of dawn the next day to attend meetings and help other pilots work on the x-wings. Ben enjoyed a drink every now and then, however, he had his mother around all the time. On the few occasions he had engaged in a drinking match with Poe, his mother was very disapproving (although she had given him advice on how to win the next time). 

As they walked along the corridor they came face to face with Rose, a resistance technician. “Hey Rose,” said Finn, going in for a hug. Rose quickly backed away from him, throwing her hands up and gesturing for him to step away, “No way, you are sweaty and you smell.” she said honestly. Ben sniggered. “I’ll have you find that we just had a very difficult and demanding training session,” said Finn, a hint of pride in his tone. “Right Ben?” he said raising his fist. Ben bumped it with his own playfully, “Damn right, being a Jedi is no joke Rose.” he said in an equally playful manner. 

Rose rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah I get it, but I’d like to see you two try to rewire two circuits at once.” she said in return before turning to Ben, “Master Skywalker was looking for you, said he needed to talk about an important matter.” Ben pulled his comlink from his pocket and sure enough, there were three missed communications from his Uncle. Ben nodded, “Yeah, he called me a few times earlier, I’ll go and find him now.” 

“Do you think you’ll be drinking later?” asked Finn, “Maybe if there were more people, Poe wouldn’t be able to drink as much.” he continued thoughtfully. Ben shrugged, placing the comlink back in his pocket, “No idea, when it comes to my Uncle it could be anything.” he said with a sigh, “I’ll catch you guys later.” 

After saying goodbye to Rose and Finn, Ben took off to find his Uncle deciding to start where he could usually find him, the cockpit of Red 5.

* * *

Ben found his Uncle sitting with R2-D2 as they worked together fixing his old x-wing. Without needing to turn around his Uncle called, “Ah Ben, there you are.” Ben smiled and pulled up a stool next to him, taking a multitool from the toolbox and taking a look at the mess inside the old ship. “Rose said you needed to talk to me,” he said, raising an eyebrow at his Uncle’s poor handiwork. Luke took his hands away, allowing his skilled nephew to take a look. It didn’t take long for Ben to realize where his Uncle had gone wrong. “Oh yes, I’m afraid that it is bad news.” Ben looked up at his Uncle, he could see fear and anxiety in his eyes. Luke took a deep breath before turning to his nephew. “What’s wrong?” Ben asked. 

“I have felt a disturbance in the force, darkness I haven’t felt in years,” Luke explained. That was strange, Ben couldn’t feel anything. He closed his eyes and reached out, he was met with the familiar signatures of his mother, uncle, and Finn but nothing more. He didn’t tend to reach out as his Uncle did, he rarely mediated. But this time he persisted, he reached out even further, feeling for this dark force. To his surprise, he was met with that same someone he would feel late at night as he lay awake. They felt more formed than usual, he could sense a flicker of their force signature. They were real. It was if they were a flicker of light in a dark room. That’s when he sensed it, how dark this being was. Was this the darkness his Uncle could sense?

Ben opened his eyes, “I can feel something, nothing too out of the ordinary though.” he said, turning back to the wires. 

“I don’t like not knowing,” said Luke, standing up from his stool, “Ben I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I want to task you a mission.”

Ben placed down the multitool, understanding what his Uncle was asking of him. “You want me to find this dark force?” he asked. 

“And destroy it.” Luke finished firmly. Ben was taken aback by his Uncle’s words, he was a man who often opted for negotiation before turning to his lightsaber. “Shouldn’t we learn more about this force before we try and kill them?” Ben asked. He wasn’t against the idea of wiping out this darkness. It was after all his destiny. He was the grandson of Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one who would bring balance to the force. It was his duty to continue his Grandfather’s legacy. He was destined to be the most powerful Jedi to ever live, to bring peace and freedom to the galaxy.

“I sense that this dark force will become a great threat Ben, for the good of the galaxy we need to eliminate it.” Ben looked up and nodded slowly. His Uncle was afraid, afraid that the sith would rise again. 

The Jedi were peacekeepers, sometimes they had to take extreme measures to keep the peace, “I don’t know where to look.” Ben pointed out, “How will I find this dark force?”

Luke rubbed the back of his neck in deep thought, “We aren’t going in completely blind, there have been rumors from the First Order that they have a skilled warrior in a place of power, I can only presume that this is the dark force that has caused such a disturbance.” 

Ben sighed, finally closing the panel he had been working on during their conversation, “It’s not much to go on.” he complained. Ben was quickly starting to dread the mission his Uncle was giving him. “It’s all we have, this is your duty to both your family and the galaxy.” Ben nodded, his Uncle was right. He had to do this, he was a Skywalker, his whole life people had looked to him for hope. And yet he couldn’t ignore the odd feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach. 

* * *

General Hux was like a thorn in her side, she could feel the start of a headache whenever she saw him walk into a room. Everything about him made her want to throw him across a room whenever he said a word. His proud and arrogant manner made her cringe, he thought he was so special, that he was irreplaceable. Which of course was partly true, though Kira would never admit it.

He controlled the entirety of the army, he had countless people serving him, many of them incredibly loyal to him. If she struck him down with her saber it wouldn’t be long before she’d regret it when half of the First Order turned on her. So she kept him around, dreaming of the day when she could finally kill the bastard. 

When they revealed the power of the final order to the galaxy, the first order would be as small and pitiful as they resistance, nothing would stand in her way when she became Empress. But until then she had to play nice. Which is why she was sitting in a First Order board meeting discussing topics varying from increasing the fleet to finding and destroying the Resistance. She despised this meeting, watching a group of men arguing over their terrible solutions to what they believed to be the galaxy’s flaws. When she became Empress she’d have far more women in positions of power.

“The Resistance is only growing, people sympathize with them.” General Hux stated. Kira narrowed her eyes at him, they all knew this, why was he stating the obvious? “We need to destroy them while we can, send out probe droids, search every inch of the galaxy.” said a General whose name she hadn’t bothered to learn. “When as that ever worked?” said General Hux.

She mentally rolled her eyes. “In the days of the Empire, many rebellion bases were discovered by probe droids.” the General replied. 

“This is not the Empire, we will not repeat their mistakes.” Hux countered. Under the table, Kira flicked her wrist and watched as one of Hux’s hands went to his neck, subtly fiddling with his collar. “Do you have a problem with the Emperor’s methods General Hux?” she asked almost sweetly. General Hux quickly shook his head, “No Ma’am of course not.” he said quickly. Kira released her grip on his neck. He let out a sigh of relief, drawing suspicious looks from the people seated at the table. 

“That is why the Final Order Fleet will give us the power we need to ensure the rebellions are silenced,” said Allegiant General Pryde, “Such power will correct the error of Starkiller base.” Kira had to resist the urge to laugh as Hux’s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. She really did revel in the man’s misery. In an attempt to save himself he spoke up, “And when will we reveal ourselves to the galaxy? Should we not destroy the Resistance while we have the chance?” 

This time Kira spoke, “When the Emperor decides the time is right we will reveal ourselves to the galaxy and once more the Sith will rule the galaxy.” she said firmly, “I suggest you hold your tongue General, for if you don’t comply, you will not see the day the Final Order reveals itself to the galaxy.” She watched as several men visibly gulped, they feared her. They feared the sith. When people feared you they were more than willing to be submissive. 

She got to her feet, “If that is all Generals, I have business to attend.” With those words, she stormed out of the board room. She knew they would continue behind her back, maybe even try and plan a coup. But at the end of the day they were too afraid to try anything, all it took was a flick of her wrist and they would be dead. 

  
  


* * *

Kira slumped onto her crimson sheets with a sigh. It had been a long day. Sitting up, she pulled the hood of her cloak down to reveal her brown hair that had been tied back in three buns. It was the only thing left of who she had once been. The only thing left of Rey.

She changed her name when she was eleven years old, leaving behind all that remained of the girl from Jakku. Palpatine forbids her speaking the name. It wasn’t who she was. He was doing it for her own good, it made things easier, her memories of life before Exogol weren’t exactly happy ones. But her grandfather had saved her, she owed him her life. He had raised her, taught her everything he knew, guiding her along the path she was destined to follow. She supposed she should be grateful. And she was, of course, she was. But she couldn’t help at times, usually when his voice was quieter in her head, that her parents wouldn’t want her to do this. That they wished something different of her. Maybe if her life hadn’t gone the way it had, she wouldn’t be Lady Ren of the First Order, instead, she would just be Rey. Just Rey. She couldn’t help but wish to be just Rey sometimes, maybe deep down she still was Rey. 

She was a strong force user, following in the footsteps of the Sith that came before her. Out of all the Knights of Ren, she was by far the most powerful, both in the force and physically. Over the years she had come to appreciate them, Kira didn’t know them very well but knew she had their unwavering loyalty. However, she always remained aware no matter who she was around, refusing to let her guard slip. The last thing she wanted was to end up with a knife in her back. Her training sessions were intense and envolved an extensive workout varying between strength, stamina, and speed. She needed to be prepared for every eventuality, always ready to fight to the death. 

Kira stood from her bed, taking off her black cloak and draping it over the chair at her desk. Stretching out her arms she let out a yawn, slipping of her boots and moving to her closet. She pulled out a tunic and leggings for sleeping it. Her closet wasn’t very colorful, in fact, most of it was black. But it didn’t bother her, she’d never cared much for her appearance only that she wanted to look intimidating at all. The only exposure she had ever had to fashion and make-up came from the nannies who had raised her. Even then Palpatine had ensured that the nannies were only there to help her with her day to day needs, they were forbidden from engaging in any conversations that could sway her opinion of the galaxy. To say she had a sheltered upbringing was a gross understatement. 

She had a few luxuries growing up. Her grandfather had insisted that she focused on her studies which was the perfect excuse for sneaking off to the Library. As a child she could spend hours hidden away with a book, reading stories of knights and princesses. Most of the books she read had links to the Sith (whether they were non-fiction or not). But tugged between the books, deep in the library were stories of love and friendship. Her grandfather said love was a weakness and Kira agreed with him. It was just something you found in storybooks. 

Pulling off her black dress, she hung it up on her wardrobe door as she prepared for bed. It was at night when she felt her worse, climbing into bed alone and staring up at the ceiling until she was taken by the merciful hands of sleep. She had no friends, no one to talk to or share her problems with. Her life was a lonely existence, walking through life with only her grandfather’s voice in her head as a companion. 

Making friends and being sociable meant putting your trust in a person. Kira was wise enough not to trust ANYONE, having someone to share her bed for a night wasn’t worth risking getting a knife plunged into her chest the next morning. She could read the minds of the people around her, a lot of them wanted her dead either for power or because they hated her and her grandfather’s methods.

As she stared up at the ceiling that night she thought of her mission, of what she had been instructed to do. She felt prepared, ready. All her training had led up to this, the day she would take her revenge. Nothing could sway her from this path, avenging her parents and everything that had been taken from her as a child, everything that she had buried deep down. Sometimes forgetting made it easier.

Closing her eyes she reached out to find the mysterious force. Deep down she could feel that this is what she was searching for. For what reason must be her own judgment. There was a high chance this could be Skywalker, but what if it wasn’t? She had no problem with killing whoever stood between her and her revenge. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that this being was important, that destroying them would be a mistake. They were powerful, she could tell by the strength of their signature. If she could turn them to the darkside they would be a powerful ally, her grandfather may even approve of the idea.

With a tired sigh and pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, wishing for sleep to come before the nightmares did. 

  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Kira come face to face on the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm here and finally posting another chapter. I have been super busy with various fics so I haven't been able to write much over here.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you do, drop a comment and some kudos to make my day.

As the ship came out of hyperspace Ben smiled at the sight of the familiar planet. Despite travelling the galaxy on a regular basis, whether it was on missions or during battles, Ben hadn’t often had the opportunity to return to his home planet. Chandrila was his second favourite planet, after the beautiful Naboo where he had spent his holidays with his parents. 

It wasn’t long before he was greeted by the skyscrapers of Hanna City, the place that he still called home. Being away was painful not only for him but also for his mother. Chandrila was the first place she called home after Alderaan, leaving had been difficult for her. When he and his mother joined the Resistance they were forced to leave the planet after the First Order bombed their family home. Ben’s smile faded as the memories of making a quick escape flashed before his eyes. It had been the middle of the night when they came, he’d been staying with his parents in their family home the airstrike started. 

At the sound of blast fire, he awoke and rushed to wake up his parents and Uncle Chewie. With blasters in hand, they had snuck out the back of the house and towards the falcon, leaving everything behind. He had watched from the window of the falcon as the First Order destroyed his home, at that moment he had sworn he’d take down the First Order even if he died trying. 

His Uncle often reminded him to focus on the future, to not dwell on the past. So he often pushed the memory away despite what it had done to his family. It had been one of the main reasons his parents spent so much time apart. They had nowhere to go where they could just be them. His mother was practically in hiding and was rarely able to leave the Resistance Base, even if it was to see her husband. As for his father, Han Solo was always on the move, never slowing down. He tried to visit the Resistance Base as often as he could, dropping in when travelling. Ben knew that his parents not seeing each other every day had put a strain on their relationship, he wondered if his family would ever be the same again. 

With a sigh, he pushed the thought into the back of his mind as he initiated the landing sequence. He was flying a regular, standard-class ship so he could travel under the First Order’s detection and avoid detection. 

He landed the ship in a public hanger, tossing some credits at the owner on his way out. He kept his lightsaber beneath his jacket, away from prying eyes but left his blaster attached to his belt. Maybe that would send people a hint to stay away from him. 

Ben made sure to avoid eye contact as he moved down the streets of his home city, he didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention. Peering down at the commlink on his wrist, he called his father. No answer. Ben rolled his eyes, activating the GPS to locate his father.

The Bar.

Of course.

He knew the bar well, it was one of his father’s favourite places to escape to. Ben had been a handful of times, often to bring his father home and back to his worried mother who would scold him when Ben was out of earshot despite the fact he was an adult. His parents had never really come to terms that he wasn’t their little boy anymore. 

When he opened the front door of the bar he was immediately met with the strong smell of alcohol, or more specifically, whiskey. It wasn’t that he didn’t like drinking or thought it was wrong, he spent quite a few nights a week in the base cantina with his friends, and Poe was always challenging him to shots. But sometimes he wondered why his father spent all his time in them, especially when it usually resulted in him getting into trouble. 

He found his father seated at a table in the corner, looking down at a holo-pad. Ben stopped a few meters away and smiled at his father. He hadn’t changed at all in the three months since he had last seen him in person, he was still the scoundrel who had taught him how to handle a blaster.

Han must of sensed him looking at him, he looked up at smiled at his son. He stood, “There’s my boy!” he said enthusiastically, pulling his son into a hug. Ben let out a quiet sigh of relief, it felt like he had come home. “I guess you got my message,” Han said as they sat down.

“I did, and Mum said if I didn’t show up I’d be in trouble, even when I explained to her I was going on an important mission she still said ‘Oh make time for your father will you’” Ben explained as his father poured him a glass of Corellian Whisky. Han laughed, “And that is coming from the woman who has dedicated her life to the good of the galaxy.” he said, a small smile spread across his face. His father always said he wasn’t brave enough, that he wasn’t born to lead an army. But his mother had said otherwise, told him stories of their days in the rebellion. Han Solo wasn’t just the galaxy’s hero, he was Ben’s. His father liked to keep his distance from the war, remain below the radar. Ben missed his father, he knew his mother did too. He wondered how long it would be before his father decided to join the Resistance for good, he was always sending them information that often proved to be extremely useful. 

“So, tell me about this mission. What’s your mother sending you to do this time?” Han asked, leaning closer as if they were discussing the latest gossip. “Actually it was Uncle Luke who sent me on this one, and it’s Jedi stuff.” With those words, Han threw back his glass, necking his drink. Ben rolled his eyes at how dramatic his father was being. “Oh come on, I thought you’d grown out of that,” Ben said teasingly

“If you hadn’t been born with the force and made the living room sofa float at the age of one I would still think it’s a load of nonsense,” Han said matter of factly, “It was then that I realised you were destined for greatness kid.”

Ben rolled his eyes, “Stop trying to flatter me Dad, I’m not going to buy you a whiskey.” Inside he knew his father had a point, from the day he was born he had been destined for greatness. Looking at his heritage proved that. “You know I mean it.” Han pointed out, “Now what’s the mission?” he continued, changing the subject. 

“Uncle Luke has sensed a disturbance in the force, it’s been around for a while now.” Ben explained, “He wants me to find it, and destroy it.” 

Han raised an eyebrow, “Destroy it? That doesn’t sound like Luke.” 

Ben nodded in agreement, “I thought the same thing, he seemed terrified when I told him, I’ve never seen him like that.” Ben could sense there was something that his Uncle wasn’t telling him, that he knew more about this mysterious force than he was letting on. “So I’m trying to find it or them, trying to find answers,” Ben said, fiddling with his glass. The situation felt wrong, he knew from his reading that this wasn’t the Jedi way, instead of destroying whatever it was, they should be capturing them, finding them and giving them a fair trial. 

“It’s nothing you can’t handle, you are quite good at all that Jedi stuff.” Han pointed out, his tone was serious. Ben laughed, “Alright, what have you got for me, Dad? Surely you didn’t just meet for a catch-up.” 

Han pulled the holo-pad from next to him and handed it to Ben, “New information on First Order Leadership, it seems as though they have a warrior or some sort in a place of high power.” Ben cocked his head and read the file. “The guy I met said they apparently carry a lightsaber…” 

Ben furrowed his eyebrows, how had this slipped past the Resistance? They had spies on most of the First Order’s Ships. “How did you get this information?” Ben asked, “It’s the first I’ve heard of all this.”

“I have a friend on the inside.” Han answered casually.

“Of course you do.” Ben muttered under his breath as he continued to read the information. According to the file, this new warrior hadn’t been around for long, sticking to the ships and commanding the First Order alongside General Hux. “Where have they come from?” Ben asked.

“No idea, I thought the Resistance would know about this. Have you considered that this warrior is maybe the dark force you are looking for?” Han pointed out. 

Ben shrugged, “The fact they carry a lightsaber doesn’t mean they are force sensitive, they could have stolen it from somewhere.” he pulled a blank data chip from his commlink and put it into the holo-pad to transfer the data. “Still, it’s someone to look out for.” said Han.

Once the data had transferred, he placed the chip back into his commlink, sending the information to his mother. He had no doubt that she would know who it’s from. “Why won’t you join us Dad?” Ben asked, handing back the holo-pad, “You send us all this information, you’re practically already part of this whole mess.” he pointed out. 

Han sighed, slumping back in his chair, “Look, kid, my fighting days are long over, besides I’d only get in your mother’s way.”

“That’s not true and you know it.” said Ben, “She misses you, we both do.”

Han gave his son a sad smile, “I miss you both Ben, but it’s better that I stay away.” 

“But-”

“No more questions, I think we both have places to be,” Han said abruptly cutting him off and getting to his feet. Ben stood with him. “You’re right, I should get going.” He said. 

The two men stood opposite each other. Neither of them wanted to end on a bad note, they’d regret it later if they didn’t say a proper goodbye. Han pulled his son into a hug, “I’ll see you soon, I promise.” Ben smiled at his father before watching him walk away. He felt like a boy again watching his father leave for ‘work’ with Uncle Chewie. 

Ben watched as his father disappeared into the crowd. With a sigh, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and made his way out of the bar. As he stepped out onto the street, he felt a tug. A tug through the force. It was dark, extremely dark and it was calling him. He decided to follow it. 

It led him towards the beach, the beach he had visited so often as a child. This force was close, he turned to see if they had crept up behind him, walking backward, his eyes searching the beach.

* * *

Kira stood by the ruins of what had once been a large house. This was where the force had led her. She took in the strange building, half of it seemed to have burned down, leaving behind rubble and what remained of the broken furniture. It was very different from the landscape around her. 

The house backed onto a beach with an ocean that seemed to last forever. In the distance, she could see a family playing amongst the waves. She tried to ignore how it subtly tugged on her heartstrings. 

Moving further into the house she took looked around. Judging by the fancy furniture, someone rich must have lived here. Maybe a politician or celebrity of some sort. Reaching down onto the floor she picked up a shard from what must of once been a china plate. She pocketed it, Kira had always liked finding small treasures. Hidden in the bottom of her dresser she kept various trinkets she had collected from across the galaxy, ones her Grandfather would most likely not approve of. He looked down on anything she found comforting or sentimental. 

A crunch beneath her caught her attention. She looked down to see she had stepped on a picture frame. Reaching down with her gloved hands she brushed away the broken glass and took a look at the picture. It was of a family. A father, a mother and in her arms a little boy with dark eyes and raven hair. Paying little attention, she placed it on a nearby shelf before moving towards the backdoor of the house that lead to the beach. Whatever she was looking for clearly wasn’t in the house. She began to back away from the house, moving backward through sand so she could up at the roof of the old house. There seemed to be nothing suspicious here, so why had the force brought her here? Surely there must have been a reason.

As she looked up once again, she took another step back and found herself colliding with something large. Whipping around and staggering away she watched as the person she must have crashed into. They both screamed, temporarily scared out of their skin as they stepped away from each other. 

They stood breathing heavily, slowly coming back to themselves. Kira took that moment to look over the person she had crashed into. It was the boy. The boy from the picture she had picked off the floor moments before. 

That’s when it came. The feeling. This was the person she was looking for, who she had been sent to destroy by her grandfather. And yet, this strange man felt familiar. It was as if she knew him, had a connection to him.

He pulled a lightsaber hilt from his jacket, she did the same, two could play at that game. “Who are you?” he asked, gripping his lightsaber hilt tightly but not igniting the weapon. Kira cocked an eyebrow, “I could ask you the same question.” she said coldly.

“You’re that First Order Warrior aren’t you?” he said, slowly lowering the weapon he chuckled, “I expected someone of your reputation to be slightly different.”

Kira ignited her saber, the twin red blades coming to life. “What were you expecting?” she asked through gritted teeth. 

The man ignited his own saber and they slowly began to circle each other. “For starters, I didn’t think you’d be a girl,” This was her window. Kira leaped forward in an attempt to catch him off guard but was annoyed when his blade quickly came up to block her strike. They locked blades pushing against each other with brute force. They weren’t laughing anymore.

She imagined being in the training room on the Supremacy, blocking the attacks of robots coming towards her. She moved through the duel like a dance as if it were a routine. But she wasn’t fighting a droid, she was fighting a person. A person who wasn’t easily fooled

He blocked each of her swings with ease, twirling his blade and dodging her blows before moving to attack. He swiped at her feet, she jumped, narrowly missing the blade before leaping over him to try and hit him from behind. Within seconds, the man had done the same, blocking her incoming attack. 

It was infuriating as if he knew all her moves before she made them. Every swing of her blades was met by his. he bared her teeth and pushed harder, moving faster as she fought, summoning the darkness and anger inside her to fuel her movements. 

The sand moved beneath their feet and soon they were running amongst the waves as they fought, water splashing around their ankles. Raising her hand she summoned the force, pushing him back so he lay flat in the seawater. “Now that can’t be fair!” he exclaimed, raising his saber to block yet another of his attacks. He rolled in the sand back up to his feet. Kira grinned, “Who said there were rules?” She asked.

* * *

The woman before him was doing a damn good job of holding her own against him. Her hood covered her face which made him wonder who lied beneath the dark cloak, who was this mysterious force that had led him to his family home. And why his family home of all places? It was nothing but ruins now, only memories remained. The house was just a painful reminder of the childhood he had lost to the first order. Was it some kind of trick? To use his emotions against him to make him weaker? Try and sadden him with painful memories so he wouldn’t fight as hard? He wouldn’t let that happen. If anything it did the opposite. The memories made him stronger. Despite his Jedi training, he found himself prodding at the anger inside of him. It made him stronger. This woman worked for the First Order, she was part of the organisation who had caused him this pain. And she was part of the leadership, for all he knew, she could’ve given the order to fire on his home. 

When she had pushed him into the waves he could’ve killed her then and there, it would take hours to get all the wet sand out of his hair. It was a dirty move, not very gentlemanly. But of course, she wasn’t a gentleman. It was a trick he would’ve played on Finn when they were mucking around as they practiced fighting for a laugh. “Who said there were rules?” she had asked. Her voice almost drew him closer, he wanted to know more. So he fought harder but held back slightly. He didn’t want to kill her just yet. Luke would be pleased if he got some information out of her before he graciously ended her life after she had begged for mercy. The thought made him shiver slightly, which wasn’t like him. He shouldn’t be thinking that way. He was a Jedi, a protector of peace in the galaxy. He shouldn’t be channeling hatred and anger in a duel. Ben knew his motive should be to kill her to rid the galaxy of evil, be one step closer to fulfilling his Grandfather’s legacy and bringing peace to that galaxy. And yet, there was a hint of revenge laced in his movements. 

They fought as if they were dancing, following each other as if they had been born to fight each other. She blocked his attacks with ease, he had never fought someone who could truly hold their own against him. This woman was powerful indeed. Her moves were rather predictable. She moved as if she were fighting a droid. Had she ever fought a living person before?

Her twin blades clashed against his in a flash of blue and red. Locking blades with her he pushed against her, forcing her to walk backward. He could feel her struggling to push back against him. Ben found himself incredibly proud that he was slowly beginning to take down this woman. 

Summoning the force to assist him, he forced her backward and she fell down, her hood slipping away.

As the hood fell away, his breath caught in his throat. The woman on the ground before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were a beautiful light hazel, beneath her visible anger he could see that there was something kind and gentle about them. Her hair was brown and fell from a bun on the top of her head, loose tendrils fell around her face. His eyes fell to her rose coloured lips and he found himself wondering if they were as soft as they looked. 

The moments of hesitation cost him. She leaped to her feet, kicking him as she raised her blade. As he fell, she struck her blade along his face, cutting from above his eye and down to his neck. He was too taken aback to notice the pain, although it wasn’t long before he was groaning in pain. 

She moved to strike him again, but with the last of his strength, he blocked it, dragging his blade above her right eye, cutting her above it, along her forehead. She screamed, her hand reaching for her face. “An eye for an eye,” he said with a smirk. 

They both raised their blades again, despite the pain and just as they were about the strike again. The sound of a familiar ship came from above. Ben looked up to see the Millenium Falcon flying over them. It landed a few feet away, the woman took one look and slowly backed away. Ben found himself in too much pain to care.

He lay back in the sand, switching off his lightsaber before finding himself being lifted by the arms of a familiar wookie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi on Tumblr, reylotrash711

**Author's Note:**

> Well... what did you think? If you enjoyed consider leaving a comment and kudos, you can find me on Tumblr as reylotrash711


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